Three posts in one day. Daaang and prometto that I actually have been busy today. I don’t schlep around the whole day, eat bon-bons, and watch daytime talk shows or cry sappily at Lifetime movies (I despise most Lifetime movies for their depressing and quasi-original/recycled”plots” and stereotypical cardboard characters). I did some house charges for my mother, called my alma mater to make sure they actually sent my transcripts to SHMS, and I took care of other varied things. Oh, and I did write a rather long blog post earlier.

Well I have to share this.

Okay, as as you probably know, I am offering a mess of novenas (nine in all) with a few special and vital intentions, one of them being that one particularly HUGE roadblock be taken away or at least lessened insofar as I shall be able to attend grad school in the Fall or at the latest, in the Winter term. Well, one of my novenas is to that divinely adorable Child pictured up top this here post: the Infant of Prague.

I know I have shared my love for the Infant of Prague before here and I know I told you all the story of how I got two Infants within a few weeks of remarking that I do not have one but I have always wanted one.

Well, far be it from me to say that He doesn’t answer prayers or show that He is with us/me.

First, He comes to me in a random box full of nifty antique church stuff from my pastor and then again out of the blue from my maternal grandmother (hers is actually my great-grandmother’s Infant complete with leaded paint! Sweet! Literally! No, I haven’t licked the paint off my Infant … I only have so many brain cells left yakno’!).

Now, He just drops another little reminder and He does it so wonderfully.

Did I mention that He has perfect timing and the like? Well, He does.

So before I prayed Vespers and Compline tonight, I was neatening up my Mary altar I have on top of my bookcase when my eyes fell upon a pile of thin little devotional books about topics like the angels and Saint Michael (I really need at least two more bookshelves for all my Theology and Literature books). One of them was given to me by a parishioner before I left for the convent. She told me to read this book to give me the strength to persevere and truly do the will of God. The name of the book is Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence by Father Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure, SJ and Saint Claude de la Colombiere, SJ (I think they are French … I dunno …😉 ).

I started reading it when I was in the convent but I never finished it before I left. I used to sneak down to the chapel when no one else was around and spend some unsupervised time with the Lord (long story). Toward the end when I was wrestling with the idea of leaving, I would lay prostrate before the altar, close my eyes, and just pour my heart out to Him until He, in His own way, beckoned me rise (He has His ways).

Well, I kinda forgot about the book so I started to flip through it. Apparently I pulled out the bookmark because there was none to be found. I guess I have to start over when I finally get down to reading it.

Then I pulled out the pocket made of Aida cloth (the fabric used for counted cross-stitch) with a simple design of the Blessed Mother kneeling at the bottom. The lady who gave it to me had left it in the book (she probably meant to). I pulled out the two holy cards that were in it. One was a thin and worn holy card with an image of the mother-foundress of the Felician Sister, Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska.

The other one floored me.

It was a bifold holy card on the Infant of Prague. My eyes fell on the image of the Divine Child and I smiled. On the back was the story of the Infant of Prague and the history of devotion to Him. On the inside left was the very novena I am praying to Him: the Powerful Novena to the Infant Jesus for Cases of Urgent Need (which can be said over nine hours instead of nine days in cases of dire need):

O Jesus, Who has said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you,” through the intercession of Mary, Thy most holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer may be granted.

(Mention your request)

O Jesus, Who hast said, “All that you ask of the Father in My Name He will grant you,” through the intercession of Mary, Thy most holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask Thy Father in Thy Name that my prayer will be granted.

(mention your request)

O Jesus, Who has said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away,” through the intercession of Mary, Thy most holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.

(Mention your request)

On the right side was the “Prayer of Thanksgiving for Graces Received from the Infant Jesus.”:

I prostrate myself before Thy Holy Image, O most gracious Infant Jesus, to offer thee my most fervant thanks for the blessings Thou hast bestowed upon me. I shall incessantly praise Thine ineffable mercy and confess that Thou alone art my God, my Helper and my Protector. Henceforth, my entire confidence shall be placed in Thee! Everywhere, I shall proclaim aloud Thy mercy and generosity, so that Thy great Love and the great deeds which Thou dost perform through this miraculous image may be acknowledged by all. May devotion to Thy Holy Infancy increase more and more in the hearts of all Christians, and may all who experience Thine assistance persevere with me in showing unceasing gratitude to Thy Most Holy Infancy, to which be praise and glory forever. Amen.

I looked at my Infant and said, “Okay, so I guess that means that a.) things will be just fine if I do what the book says: ‘[Trustfully] surrender [myself] to Divine Providence” and b.) I guess You’ve adopted me. You keep popping up when I need You, even if I don’t realize it at first.”

And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my Confirmation patroness, Saint Therese of Lisieux had a special devotion to the Child Jesus (she is “of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, after all). There’s a reason why. Maybe this is the precursor to the roses I have been asking for (tomorrow is day five of the five day “novena” that I have been offering … though I am going on praying it until the day before all is due or until everything is complete, whichever comes first).

Oh I just want to embrace Him and kiss His sweet little Divine Face and His Hands. I actually do every night before I go to bed. It’s the mother in me. Sure He may be God but His Divine Infancy reminds me (and us) that God loves us so much that He was willing to empty Himself of His rightful majesty as the Eternal Son of God and take on human flesh and be like us in all ways but sin. In His Incarnation, our dignity as persons made in the Image and Likeness of God has been magnified and elevated to a whole new plane. I think the least I can do is give Him a goodnight kiss every night for doing that and so much more.

And it miffs the Devil like nothing else. *blows raspberry to Old Goat Legs* *does in Simpsons Nelson (the bully) voice* : Ha! Ha!

Things are going to be all right. Everything will be all right. I just need to trust. I may not start grad school this Fall. Maybe it won’t be until Winter. I don’t know. It’s going to hurt but maybe that’s what God wants and it’s for the best. It will give me time to grow and to hopefully find a job with flexible hours so that when I am in school, I will be able to stay the full-time student I want to be so I can graduate in about two years. My singular focus (besides discernment, of course) is to get that shiny MA in Theology so that can open the door to other things like teaching, research, or even MORE studies … canon law! Church history! Liturgiology! *droooooooooooool*

Yes, things will be all right. God will provide. And I guess the Divine Child has taken me as one of His clients. Thank Him. Like Father Solanus Casey used to say, “Thank God ahead of time for all that He will do for you!”

I hope I can do that everyday and for everything.

Oh, and I just looked up my official GRE scores (all I had were my unofficial scores scrawled on a post-it): I did REALLLLY WELL on the Verbal and Analytical writing sections! I was one point off of a perfect score on the writing part (they score in increments of 0.5 points)! I don’t even know why I looked them up. Something just told me to.

*Looks at Infant* “I love You.”

Imma go to bed a happy child of God! I am so beaten down with nerdy gids!!!! YAY!!!! If I wasn’t tired and if I didn’t have to get up in a few hours … I would totally be doing a happy dance!!!!

*does happy dance anyway*

Deus bonum est!

Have a nice night!

-Allie

Rate this:

Share this:

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

About Ms. Allie

I am a Catholic young woman who works as a Theology teacher at a Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of the Detroit. In Spring of 2015, I graduated with an MA in Theology with a concentration in Systematic Theology. My MA thesis was titled: "Mary as Woman of the Eucharist in the Theology of Pope Saint John Paul II." I also hold a BA in Theology (with a dabbling in Philosophy) and is a member of Theta Alpha Kappa (θΑΚ), the National Theology/Religious Studies Honor Society. Prayers are appreciated.

English Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

Read the Catechism in One Year!

Have you prayed your Office yet?

Want to pray the Breviary old school?

Who writes this thing?

Statement of Faith

I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches and holds to be the truth because that which she teaches has been revealed to her by God Who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

I believe that our gloriously reigning Pontiff, Francis, is a direct successor to the Seat of Saint Peter. I pledge allegiance to him and all bishops and priests who are in union with him in teaching and all other things pertaining thereto.

My viewpoints, opinions, stances, etc. are based on the teachings of the Catholic Church (not my interpretation of them ... the teachings themselves ... primary sources, yo). Though I do tend to lean conservative (Just saying). Pro-life: Conception to natural death.

Disclaimer

The opinions, rantings, ravings, contemplations, analyses, et al. are strictly and exclusively the position/s held by the author of this blog.

All of these posts are written in the light of Catholic teaching as I understand it to be taught. If any of my writings are incorrect theologically, philosophically, canonically, etc., it is not done on purpose, it is a matter of the ignorance of the author and is not to be viewed of an act of dissent by the author.